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33

full-time faculty teaching and conducting research in political science

66%

of Maxwell faculty conduct research focused outside of the U.S.

50

graduate students in residence; fewer than 12 admitted each year

Undergraduate Studies


Studying political science will help you understand the workings of political life at the local, national and international levels and will prepare you for a lifetime of active and informed citizenship. The Department of Political Science at Syracuse University has more than thirty full-time faculty that teach a wide variety of courses in multiple subject areas. We will guide you as you explore the world of politics and hone your skills as a researcher, analyst and writer.

Graduate Studies


Master’s and doctoral students receive broad training in quantitative and qualitative methods of social science research, while also concentrating in two of the following substantive fields: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, public administration and policy, law and courts, or security studies. 
Jacqueline Saturn

I am Maxwell.

My time as a student at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School prepared me for my career in the music business in ways I never could have imagined. My passion for utilizing political and legal systems and structures to advocate for and protect people’s rights guides many of the most important decisions I make.”

Jacqueline Saturn ’90 B.A. (PSc)

President of Virgin Music Group North America, 2026 Maxwell | A&S Undergraduate Convocation Speaker

Read more.

Recent Faculty Books

Maxwell's Political Science Department faculty members publish award-winning books on a wide range of topics.  Scroll a sample of recently published works below, or visit the Maxwell Faculty Bookshelf for more.

Elizabeth Cohen Speaks With Washington Examiner About the Ending of Title 42

May 14, 2023

Washington Examiner

Title 42 is an emergency health authority, most recently enacted in 2020 during President Donald Trump’s administration to allow U.S. officials to turn away migrants who came to the U.S.-Mexico border on the grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19. The restrictions expired last week.

The Biden administration and House Republicans are pointing fingers at each over immigration, with money a key issue. Republicans are calling for more enforcement, the White House is asking for more Border Patrol funding. And comprehensive immigration reform has not taken place since the 1990s.

The lack of guidance and updates to the law is what led Title 42 to become so important in the first place, argues Elizabeth Cohen, professor of political science.

“Title 42 is only the most recent of a long history of using health concerns as a justification for free movement restrictions," she says. "For example, it was only in 2010 that restrictions were removed on the entry of persons who are HIV positive."

She argues that more judges are indeed needed as wait times have increased and said immigrants have a very high rate of attending their hearings.

Read more in the Washington Examiner article, “More money or more enforcement: Biden and GOP debate border fixes."

BaoBao Zhang Joins First Cohort of AI2050 Early Career Fellows

One of only 15 scholars chosen from across the U.S., Zhang will receive up to $200,000 in research funding over the next two years. Zhang will use the funding to partner with the nonprofit, non-partisan Center for New Democratic Processes to test whether public participation in AI governance is increased through the creation of public assemblies, known as “deliberative democracy workshops.”

Baobao Zhang

Assistant Professor, Political Science Department

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Baobao Zhang

Elizabeth Cohen Speaks With Washington Examiner About the Ending of Title 42

May 14, 2023

Washington Examiner

Title 42 is an emergency health authority, most recently enacted in 2020 during President Donald Trump’s administration to allow U.S. officials to turn away migrants who came to the U.S.-Mexico border on the grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19. The restrictions expired last week.

The Biden administration and House Republicans are pointing fingers at each over immigration, with money a key issue. Republicans are calling for more enforcement, the White House is asking for more Border Patrol funding. And comprehensive immigration reform has not taken place since the 1990s.

The lack of guidance and updates to the law is what led Title 42 to become so important in the first place, argues Elizabeth Cohen, professor of political science.

“Title 42 is only the most recent of a long history of using health concerns as a justification for free movement restrictions," she says. "For example, it was only in 2010 that restrictions were removed on the entry of persons who are HIV positive."

She argues that more judges are indeed needed as wait times have increased and said immigrants have a very high rate of attending their hearings.

Read more in the Washington Examiner article, “More money or more enforcement: Biden and GOP debate border fixes."

Political Science Department
100 Eggers Hall